Lubricant distributor



Oct. 28, 19 1- J. J. HENNESSY LUBRICANT DISTRIBUTOR Filed July 5, 1940 INVENTOR.

JAMES J. HENNESSY Patented Oct. 28, 1941 UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims. (01

The invention relates to mechanical lubricators of the type particularly adapted for use in railway journal boxes, and the invention consists in the means by which lubricant pumped to the journal is distributed over the journal surface.

In an application for patent filed by the present inventor December 1, 1939, Serial No. 307,057, there is illustrated a mechanical lubricator applied to a journal boxhaving an Association of American Railroads contour, there being a relatively short distributor plate applied to the journal and receiving lubricant from the pump, there being hanks of yarn packed under the journal between the ends of the distributor plate and the ends of the journal. Theamount of this yarn, the manner of its packing, and its effectiveness for the intended purpose will vary with the experience and carefulness of the workmen.

O-ne object of the present invention is to provide a distributor unit including a metal platelike member for application to the journal and pads of absorbent material associated therewith so as to obtain the beneficial results of the loose yarn packing previously used and also to obtain more uniform results from the absorbent material.

Another object of the invention is to facilitate the application and removal of a distributor unit, extending substantially the full length of the journal, when the space between the journal and the adjacent journal box wall and pump members is restricted as is the case with an assembled A. A. R. journal and box.

In some cases it has been necessary to jack up the box and remove the journal bearing and wedge and then lower the box onto the axle before the lubricator device could be applied or removed, and it is a further object of the present invention to make possible the application and removal of the lubricator device and, particularly, a distributor of the desired type without such manipulation of the box and journal.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a selected embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a journal box equipped with a mechanical lubricator including the novel distributor, the

journal, journal bearing and wedge being shown also.

Figures 2 and 3 are detail vertical transverse sections taken on the corresponding section lines of Figure 1.

The journal box I, axle 2, with journal 3, bearing 4 and wedge 5 are of usual construction and require no detail description. The mechanical lubricator consists essentially of two units, a pumping unit 6 and a distributor unit I. The pumping unit may be as disclosed in the abovementioned application, Serial No. 307,057, and will not be described here except to note that a reciprocating piston 8 is actuated through a lever 9 by the play of the axle and journal longitudinally of the box to draw oil from the bottom of the box into a cylinder in the pump body In from which it is discharged through a passageway H to a cup-like recess in which there is seated the spherical lower end 12 of anarm l3 of the distributor device.

Arm I3 is pivoted at l4 to depending hinge bu'tt elements I5 on the upwardly-facing concave plate l6 which has upstanding ribs ll at its ends disposed to engage the surface of the journal. A lubricant passage I8 extends through elements II, l3, I4 and one of elements l5 to the upper face of plate It. A spring l9 thrusts plate l6 and the swinging end of arm I3 away from each other whereby the plate is held against the journal and is pivotally supported by element I2 on member l0.

At each end of plate "5 is a shallow pan 20 with its end portions 2| at opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the lubricator inclined upwardly. Upright side flanges 22 extend from end to end of each pan 20 and end flanges or lips 23 at the ends of portions 21 extend horizontally. Elements 20, 2|, 22 and 23 form a receptacle for one or more felt pads 24 having arcuate upper faces for engaging the journal, having end portions shouldered at 2'5 for engaging pan lips 23, and having depending tongues 26 extending through openings in pans 20 and arranged to extend into the lubricant in the bottom of the journal box.

Hinge lugs 21 depend from plate l6 and hinge pins 28 extend through lugs 21 and pivotally mount arms 29, the outer ends of which are pivotally anchored to the bottom walls of pans 20 whereby the latter and the pads carried thereby are free to swing about pins 28. Springs 30, coiled about pins 28, bear against the bottom of plate I6 and pans 20 and thrust the latter upwardly against the journal.

Pads'24 are saturated with oil which travels longitudinally of the journal beyond the ends of plate t6 and also with oil which is lifted by capillary attraction from the bottom of the box. They provide for the wiping of surplus oil from the end portions of the journal or for the distribution of oil to the end portions of the journal as may be required.

The hinging of pain; 20 on plate I6 and the yielding nature of the portions of the pads projecting upwardly and downwardly from pans 20 facilitate the insertion of the distributor unit through the space between the end of the journal and the bottom wall of the journal box and the upwardly curved end wall, such insertion and removal being accommodated also by the movement of arm l3 towards plate I6. While spring [9 is adequate to hold the distributor elements against the journal, it is readily compressed between the fingers and thumbs of workmen when the distributor is to be inserted or removed to, and from its functioning position. In practice, the distributor unit 1 will be inserted beneath the journal before the pump unit 6 is applied and, in the event of replacement, the pump unit will be removed before the distributor unit is removed. I

The interengagement between the pads and the, pans where tongues 26 pass through the bottom of the pans and at shoulders 25 holds the flexible pads in place and prevents their be ing drawn out of position by contact of the rotating journal. Grooves such as are indicated at 3|, for example, may be formed in the pads to provide pockets for lubricant pools. If the bearing becomes overheated because defective, or

for any other cause, the felt pads will char, and

smoke discharged from the box will attract attention to the box so that the cause of the overheatingmay be remedied.

These elements and other elements .of the structure may be varied and some features may be omitted entirely without affecting the essential features of the device, and the exclusive use of those modifications which come within the spirit of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is: 1. In a distributor device for a journal lubricator of the class described, a substantially rigid shallow pan-like member having an upper face arranged for application to a journal, a shallow pan-like extension at the end of said member portion 'of said member for relative vertical movement and provided with a pad of absorbent 1 material having an upper face arranged for application to'the journal, and means on said member for thrusting said extension against the journal to which the device is applied.

2. Ina distributor device for a journal lubricator of the class described, a substantiallyrigid the device is applied. I

3. A device as described in claim 2 in which lthe means supporting the extension yields to accommodate hinging movement of the member 1 and extension when the device is applied to and j removed from beneath the journal.

4. In a distributor device for a journal lubrilcator of the class described, a 'substantiallyrigid ishallow pan-like member having an upper face ,arranged for application to a journal, extensions l and mounted at its lower portion on the lower 1 at the ends of said member each mounted at its lower portion on the lower portion of said member for relative vertical movement independently of the other extension and each provided with a pad of absorbent material having an upper face arranged for application to the journal, and means on said member for thrusting each of said extensions against the .journal to which the device is applied independently of the other extension.

5. In a distributor device for a journal lubricator of the class described, a substantially rigid shallow pan-like member having an upper face arranged for application to a journal, shallow pan-like extensions at the ends of said member hinged at their lower portions to the lower portions of said member independently of the other and each provided with a pad of absorbent material having an upper face arranged for application to the journal, and means on said member for supporting each of said extensions against the journal to which the device is applied independently of the other extension.

6. A device as described in claim 5 in which the means supporting the extensions yield to accommodate hinging movement of each extension on the member independently of the other extension when the, device is applied to and removed from beneath the journal.

7. In a distributor device for a journal lubricator of the class described, an arcuate plate arranged to fit against the lower portion of a journal, extensions at the ends of said plate and each provided with a pad of absorbent material having an upper face arranged for application to the journal, each of said extensions being movably mounted on said plate, means on said plate thrusting said extensions and pads upwardly relative to said plate, a supporting structure having one end connected to said plate and its other end movable relative to said plate, there being a lubricant passageway through said structure from said latter-mentioned end to the upper face of said plate.

8. A device as described in claim 7 in which the supporting structure is pivoted at one end to a side of the plate and has its other end-positioned substantially beneath the center of said plate, there being means thrusting the plate and the latter-mentioned end of the supporting structure away from each other, whereby said plate and the extensions thereon are held against the journal to which they are applied.

, 9. In a distributor device for a journal lubricator of the class described, a substantially rigid member having an upper face arranged for application to a journal, an extension at the end of saidnmember provided with a pad of absorbent material having an upper face arranged for application to the journal, an arm pivoted to said member and to said extension and mounting said extension onsaid member so that said extension may move -'vertically and pivotally relative to said member, and means on said member for thrusting said. extension against the journal to which the device is applied but yielding to ac- 

